Ready-to-go marinades and salsas that can double as dips and dressings are ideal for summer.
With so much going on, I need to have a fridge full of ready-to-go “something-somethings” to help get me through. These will be things I’ve produced using staples from my pantry, and they are immensely satisfying to make. As they have multiple uses, they can be transformed into simple meals.
Marinades are one such item, as they can also be used as salad dressings. For example, a garlicky mayonnaise can finish off a sandwich or serve as an early evening dip to accompany tender grilled vegetables straight off the barbecue; a piquant salsa is equally at home as a dressing for grilled fish or a nicely singed steak or served as a relish with paté.
I have already made several of these summer add-ons to have as standbys, so that as the steaks grill or I need to pass around a plate of pre-dinner nibbles, and I think “this needs a little something”, I have these accompaniments ready to bring out.
There is something satisfyingly ancient about the aroma that comes from a mixture of soy sauce, ginger and sesame oil. This marinade can also be used as a dressing for barbecued fish or a salad made with poached chicken breast, cucumber and lettuce.
Grilled Beef in a Soy and Spring Onion Marinade
3cm piece of fresh ginger
1 bunch of spring onions
1 large red chilli
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
½ tsp sesame oil
1½ tbsp water
2 tbsp peanut oil
For the steak
900g rump steak, thinly sliced into 6 pieces
vegetable oil
a small bunch of rocket leaves or pea shoots
Peel the ginger and cut up into matchsticks. Place in a deep bowl. Thinly slice the whites of the spring onions and add to the bowl. Cut the chilli in half, then remove the stem and seeds if you don’t want the heat. Finely chop the flesh and add to the bowl. Add the soy sauces, sesame oil and water. Heat the peanut oil in a small frying pan until it starts to smoke, then carefully pour it over the ingredients in the bowl. Stir to combine, then set aside.
Leave the steak slices in the marinade for 30 minutes. Using the vegetable oil, lightly grease the hot grill bars of a barbecue or a ridged grill pan. Remove the steak from the marinade, draining it over the bowl, then cook until coloured on both sides. Remove from the heat when medium rare and leave to rest. Slice the meat into finger-thick strips and place in a bowl with the cooking juices and rocket leaves. Toss together and divide among 6 plates. Spoon a little extra marinade over the top and serve hot.
Serves 6.
Use this mayo in this steak sandwich, as a dip for cooked meats, grilled flatbreads or spooned over smoky barbecued vegetables. I prefer to serve the sandwich open.
Roasted Garlic Mayonnaise
grapeseed oil
2 x 180g sirloin steaks
2 small french sticks
roasted garlic mayonnaise
a small bunch of rocket leaves
2 ripe tomatoes
mayonnaise
8 fat cloves of roasted garlic
salt and black pepper
2 free-range egg yolks
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp Dijon mustard
200ml grapeseed oil
100ml olive oil
Lightly oil the steaks and cook on a hot barbecue until slightly charred on the outside but still deep pink inside – about 5 minutes each side. Leave the steaks to rest and keep warm at the side of the grill. Cut the bread in half and spread thickly with garlic mayonnaise. Pile the rocket leaves on the bottom piece of bread, then slice the tomatoes and place on top. Cut the steaks, arrange over the sandwich and serve.
To make the mayonnaise, squeeze the garlic cloves from their skins and place the flesh in a food processor with a pinch of salt. Add the egg yolks, lemon juice and mustard and purée until smooth. Combine the oils and, with the motor running, slowly pour into the egg yolks until the mixture starts to thicken and become shiny. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper if necessary.
Serves 2.
At the City Market, where I sell my palm-sugar dressing, I am regularly accused of helping to reduce the orangutan populations of Indonesia by using imported palm sugar. However, people are confusing this with the saturated-fat-laden palm oil, which is added to cheap chocolate. The two are not related – palm sugar is ethically produced and guilt-free. Use this lime and chilli jam as a dipping sauce for seafood. Use any combination of seafood or fresh vegetables in the tempura.
Lime and Chilli ‘Jam’
150ml water
200g palm sugar, grated
1 long red chilli
1 long green chilli
1 lime
Bring the water and palm sugar to the boil and simmer until it has thickened slightly and turned a light caramel colour. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Halve the chillies, then scrape out the seeds using a small knife. Chop the flesh as finely as possible, then add to the palm-sugar syrup. Grate the zest from the lime, squeeze its juice into the mixture, then stir to combine. Store in a sealed jar in the refrigerator.
Enough for 6.
Tempura
225g plain flour
300ml soda water
1 egg
1 cup ice cubes
24 oysters
750ml vegetable oil
Sift the flour into a bowl then whisk in the soda water and egg. Add the ice cubes just before using the batter, and use it before they melt.
Rinse the oysters under cold running water to remove any grit or shell, then drain in a sieve. Heat the oil to 180°C, then carefully dip the oysters into the batter before gently lowering them into the hot oil. Cook until golden brown, turning the oysters over as they cook. Remove and drain on absorbent kitchen paper, then transfer to a serving platter. Serve with the dipping jam.
Makes 2 cups.
If you can’t find dried salted black beans at your local Asian food store, use tinned organic black beans, available at most supermarkets. Use the salsa to accompany all barbecued meats.
Capsicum and Black Bean Salsa
2 red capsicums
1 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion
4 cloves garlic
3cm piece of fresh root ginger
juice of 4 limes
3 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp dried salted black beans, rinsed
Roast the capsicums over the hot grill of the barbecue until the skin has blackened then remove from the heat, place in a plastic bag and loosely tie shut. Leave for 30 minutes, then remove the capsicums from the bag. Peel and discard the charred skin and seeds. Roughly chop the flesh and put in a bowl with the oil. Finely chop the onion, garlic and ginger, then mix into the capsicum. Add the lime juice and soy sauce. Finely chop the beans and combine everything. Store in a jar in the fridge for up to a week.
Enough for 6.